How does trust affect acceptance of a nuclear power plant (NPP): A survey among people living with Qinshan NPP in China.

Qunying Xiao,Huijun Liu,Marcus W Feldman,Bruno Merk

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187941

Qunying Xiao, Huijun Liu + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187941

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Nov 27, 2017
Citations: 32	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Xi'an Jiaotong University, Stanford University

Abstract

It is difficult to know whether different dimensions of trust have different effects on local residents’ acceptance of nuclear power plants (NPPs). In previous research such trust has been considered as a single dimensional concept. This paper divides trust into goodwill trust and competence trust, and we explore the ways in which trust affects acceptance of NPPs through structural equation modeling. A survey of 491 people was conducted in Haiyan County, China, where the Qinshan nuclear power plant is located. We find that goodwill trust is significantly correlated with competence trust, and each can indirectly promote residents’ acceptance of NPPs but by different paths. Goodwill trust improves acceptance of NPPs by decreasing risk perception, while competence trust improves acceptance of NPPs by increasing benefit perception. However, the associations between goodwill trust and benefit perception, competence trust and risk perception, are not significant.

Highlights

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011, the major nuclear power countries were in a dilemma
The percentages of respondents who trust government, research institutions and experts, and the operators of nuclear power plants (NPPs) are 29.2%, 34.5%, and 25.7%, respectively; these are not significantly different. These findings indicate that NPP authorities in China, especially the operators of the NPP, are less likely to be trusted
In consistent with the findings of Globescan investigation in that there is a global bias against nuclear power technology as measured by public acceptance and trust in nuclear power, our study confirmed that this distrust in NPPs exists in China

Summary

Introduction

After the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan in 2011, the major nuclear power countries were in a dilemma. The government of Japan shut down most of its NPPs. Global nuclear power supply decreased from 2629.82 TW.h in 2010 to 2476.22 TW.h in 2016 [1]. The accident changed people’s attitude to NPPs so much that the governments of Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, and Sweden announced plans for withdrawing nuclear power, and anti-nuclear movements emerged all over the world. The government of China acted against this trend, implementing an ambitious nuclear power strategy [2]. According to the data from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) updated in May 2016, Chinese nuclear reactors in construction and planned account for 33.9% and 36.8% of the global percentages, respectively [3], which is the highest growth rate in the world.

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